No river is more aptly named than the Asp. Fed by streams that slither down the north side of the Brazen Peaks, it is slim, twisty, and treacherous. Few boats of any size can venture close to the river's source, so I considered myself fortunate to find passage aboard a northbound palace barge.Under most circumstances, I would not expect to encounter a royal pleasure boat so far south. But Prince Khemet III had been making his private fleet available to the foreign treasure hunters who flocked to Osirion. The latest band of adventurers had disembarked in the foothills an hour or two past, so my traveling companions were limited to a surly captain, a score of oarsmen, a few armed guards, and the three women who'd come along as entertainment. I was taking a turn at the oars, not because it was expected of me but to spur rowers accustomed to a leisurely pace. We were nearing the confluence where two rivers, the Asp and the Crook, merged into the great River Sphinx. This was rough terrain, home to creatures I'd rather not encounter. The scent of jasmine and sandalwood wafted into the shallow, flat-bottomed hold, heralding another creature I preferred to avoid. Suppressing a sigh, I cast a glance toward the stairs.Lapis, a palace dancer and the apparent leader of the troupe of entertainers, came down the center aisle, jingling musically with each step. My gaze dropped to her feet. They were bare, but for the gold chains linking her toe rings to her ankle bracelets, from which hung several tiny golden bells. "There you are, Channa Ti!"Her words were rounded with delight, as if she'd happened upon a child's hiding place, and her painted lips curved in a smile of surpassing beauty. Lapis was all charm and warmth and light, unless you happened to notice the obsidian glint in those kohl-rimmed eyes. After two days in her company, I was starting to miss my last travel companion—Ratsheek, a treacherous hyenafolk bitch who, when we last parted, was trying to sacrifice me on a...
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